Anyone interested in the 2018 election should sign up for the Jan. 27 campaign training. Designed for women candidates and campaign staff, speakers for the one-day training include State Representatives Gina Mitten, Tracy McCreery, Cora Faith Walker and Gretchen Bangert. Topics range from Getting Started, Developing a Message and Image to Fundraising, Voter Contact and Getting Out the Vote. The staff/volunteer track includes Dana Kelly-Franks speaking on supporting candidates. Former Senator Rita Heard Days is the luncheon speaker.The Saturday training starts at 9 am at the Richmond Heights Community Center, 8001 Dale. Cost is $25, with an additional $25 for the NWPC’s Hands-on Campaign Manual.

Six incumbents receive early endorsement

The Caucus recently voted to endorse Senator Jill Schupp, Reps. Gretchen Bangert, Deb Lavender, Tracy McCreery, Gina Mitten and Sarah Unsicker for their 2018 re-election. Pictured at right are Reps. Unsicker, Lavender and Bangert at the November meeting. The candidate questionnaire is now available for other candidates to complete before the May 2018 endorsement meeting.

Abortion battle update from an ob/gyn and a pro-choice legislator

Two strong advocates for reproductive rights in Missouri, Rep. Stacey Newman and Dr. Colleen McNicholas, shared their first-hand experiences at the November Caucus meeting. Newman said it was eye-opening to shadow Dr. McNicholas during her medical appointments at an abortion clinic in Oklahoma City recently. Newman stressed that one in three women has had an abortion for a variety of reasons and seven in 10 voters support abortion rights, yet every year more than 30 bills are introduced in the Missouri General Assembly to further restrict this medical procedure. McNicholas criticized legislative interference in the practice of medicine that disproportionately impacts low-income women. She said, "I use my voice for people who shouldn't have to use their voice." Abortions are now available in Columbia and Kansas City, but a new law requires the doctor to meet with patients 72 hours before the procedure. In the picture shown above, Newman shows audience members a binder of ob/gyn facts she's compiled with the help of Dr. McNicholas.

Moderated by former State Senator Rita Heard-Days, an August 17 panel discussed how to engage people of color in the political process. St. Louis City Treasurer Tishaura Jones represented the African American community; Alexandra Johnson represented the Hispanic community; and Caroline Fan represented the Asian community.

Days quoted Maya Angelou: "In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength." She said conversations about race, privilege and disenfranchisement are timely in light of the recent violence in Charlottesville and many cities poised for demonstrations.

Instead of talking about increasing diversity, Jones suggested using the word inclusion to indicate the need for more people of color both at the table and able to make decisions. She said we need an equity lens to change policies so everyone has a fair shot at the American dream.

“There’s power to being first, blazing a path and building from there,” Fan said, mentioning several minority candidates who have been elected to office in other states. She commended the Caucus for focusing on local and state candidates to build a farm team.

“We need people who will be agents of change regardless of their skin color,” Johnson said. “Every different culture has something different to bring to the table. We need to lock arms and stand together.”

Panelists said groups are working to help Missouri voters get the proper ID and register to vote. Candidates must not take any group of voters for granted and speak out on issues people care about to motivate them to vote on election day. Key issues for most voters are jobs with livable wages and benefits, health care, education and taxes. Hispanics are more likely to care about immigration, while African-Americans want criminal justice reform.

The panelists recognized differences in how candidates can reach minority communities. Fan suggested placing ads in Chinese newspapers. Jones said candidates must go door-to-door to leave literature and reach out to black churches to reach African-American voters. Johnson said many Hispanic-Americans are afraid of authority and won’t answer the door, much less vote, so a candidate should find key players within the community to vouch for her.

Days said progressives must channel our anger and energy when our rights are taken away. She suggested being that grain of sand that irritates and “make a nice pearl from that oyster.”

On June 22, the Caucus joined with the St. Louis Press Club to present "Conquering Communication and the Great (Gender) Divide" at the Urban League. Pictured above are Shira Truitt, Aja Williams, Angelina Bills and Caucus President Margo McNeil. Bills handles communications for the Urban League and shared more than a dozen messaging tips for candidates, stressing the need to speak up and share what you’re doing even after you’re elected to office. She said women can wear feminine colors but need to look the part with attire that’s professional and not seductive. She stressed the need to be forthright, informed and honest.

Williams, Nine Network's Digital Media Producer, focused on social media, saying it should be an extension of your messaging. “It’s all about the connection and engagement,” she said. “It’s a more direct way to get the attention of your constituents and the media.” She shared examples of effective Tweets and Facebook posts and ways to increase reach with video and infographics.

Caucus welcomes 35 new members

New members shared why they were inspired to join the Caucus at a June 11 reception hosted by Kathy McKemy. More than 50 women attended, including about half of the 35 women who recently joined. Legislators in attendance included Reps. Deb Lavender, Tracy McCreery, Mary Nichols, Sarah Unsicker, and Cora Faith Walker.

Members hear good, bad and ugly of legislative session

At the May membership meeting, Assistant Minority Leader Gina Mitten gave an overview of some good legislation that passed in 2017, several bad bills that passed and many more that didn't. She highlighted SB43 as one of the worst bills now on Governor Greiten's desk. It would gut the Human Rights Act to remove personal liability in discrimination suits and gut whistleblower protections.

Angie Postal, Planned Parenthood's Director of Public Policy, focused on legislation affecting reproductive rights that may hurt patients' access to care they need. She said the budget includes language blocking Medicaid for any health care or family planning provider that offers abortion referral. For more information, go to PPMissouri.org.

Postal promoted Clean Missouri, an ethics reform initiative that needs 280,000 signatures to be on the November 2018 ballot. EMPAC Chair Jeanne Kirkton shared information on court action to strike some provisions of Amendment 2 to limit campaign contributions.

Kirkton also shared information on the Caucus offering a "Friend of the Caucus" designation and mentorship for women running for city council, school board and other local offices.

Cemetery Tour Highlights St. Louis Suffragettes

More than 30 women enjoyed the May 21 suffragette tour of Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum. Ann Ross placed flowers on Ida Wolfolk's grave and we learned about several prominent women buried there, including Virginia Minor, who tried to vote in 1872, a battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

At a wine and cheese reception after the tour, docent Mary Ellen Vander Linden gave an historic presentation posing as Edna Fischel Gellhorn looking back on her life. Gellhorn presided at a state convention of suffragettes in Columbia after the 1914 legislative session. After Missouri passed the Federal Suffrage Amendment on July 3, 1919, she received a telegram saying Iowa had narrowly beat Missouri to ratification. Gellhorn helped form the national League of Women Voters.

Galvanizing Hundreds of Gutsy Women in St. Louis

Almost 300 women gathered April 1 for the Galvanizing Gutsy Women fundraiser for the Eastern Missouri Political Action Committee (EMPAC). Former state reps Jeanne Kirkton and Margo McNeil served as emcees, giving an award and campaign manual to St. Louis women's march organizer Valerie Brinkman.

Syndicated columnist Aisha Sultan gave an inspiring speech on the current surreal political reality and tendency of some people who don’t want to believe a documented news story to call it fake news. She said gutsy women need to be stealth agents for truth. "It will be women who clean up this mess."

Other speakers included St. Louis mayoral candidate Lyda Krewson who asked for support on April 4 so she can become the first St. Louis mayor to carry a purse. Senator Claire McCaskill explained why she's voting against Judge Gorsuch and why the women's march was such a high.

On Jan. 21, members of the NWPC-STL joined other women's and civil rights organizations in making a statement in support of justice, equality and truth for ALL. Caucus members marching included Margo McNeil, Jeanne Kirkton, Laura Cohen, Ann Ross, Jean Dugan, Marcia Mellitz, Renee Marver, Sarah Unsicker, and Jane von Kaenel. The Caucus booth was staffed by Kathy McKemy, Corrine Austin, Linda Tatum and Ann Ross.

In a news release, Caucus President Margo McNeil said, "I’m excited to march, rally and act to encourage women to voice their concerns and get more involved in the political process. We march to show state and national leaders that we are engaged and willing to act to protect the rights, health, and safety of women and their families. We rally to let all women in the region know that we can make a difference. We will act to let women know what they can do if they don’t like what’s happening in Jefferson City or Washington, D.C.”

The Eastern Missouri Political Action Committee (EMPAC) donated more than $15,000 to women candidates in 2016, including mailings to pro-choice women voters coordinated with the campaigns of Deb Lavender, Sarah Unsicker, Vicki Englund, Karen Settlemore-Berg and Gretchen Bangert. Click here for the news release on 2016 endorsements.

Proud of our History

The St. Louis chapter of the National Women’s Political Caucus was founded in 1971 by Susan Block, Betty Van Uum, Ora Lee Malone, Marcia Mellitz, Sally Barker and Vivian Eveloff after a speech by Bella Abzug. Sue Shear was the first candidate the Caucus recruited to run for a seat in the Missouri House. Since then, the local Caucus has supported more than 120 women candidates. In 2015, one-fourth of the Missouri legislature is female, with 42 women in the House and six women in the Senate, including Caucus member Jill Schupp. For a more complete history of the Caucus, click here.

Our Priorities:

to increase women's participation in the political process;

to increase the number of women in elected and appointed positions;

to achieve greater equality for women;

to support candidates who support our goals;

to work to eradicate sexism, racism, ageism, poverty, discrimination against the disabled, and discrimination on the basis of religion;

to ensure reproductive freedom and freedom of sexual orientation;

to stimulate and encourage political involvement by all women in the St. Lois metropolitan area;

to encourage the enactment of legislation beneficial to women;

to offer opportunities to learn about the machinery of politics through workshops, networking and personal experience;

to provide a vehicle for enhancing individual, personal and professional development; and

to allow individual members an opportunity to ascertain their own priorities for political involvement.